Security Council Must Act to end Bloodshed in Libya

Brussels-Rome, 22 February 2011

No Peace Without Justice and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty condemn the violent crackdown in Libya and the vicious attacks against civilians that have killed and injured hundreds of people. These attacks include offensive actions by warplanes, snipers and gunmen shooting people in the streets.

The violence unleashed against citizens who are exercising their democratic human rights is unwarranted, unprecedented and unacceptable. Colonel Gadhaffi has made it very clear that he does not intend to stop, but intends to continue the bloodshed until all opposition to his tyrannical rule is squashed.

The situation in Libya clearly constitutes a threat to international peace and security, all the more because it gives courage to others who would seek to quell the thirst for democracy and human rights in the region through force, violence and fear. The United Nations Security Council must recognise this and must act: it must shoulder the burden of its responsibility under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and take whatever measures are necessary to end this threat and protect the people of Libya.

The international community should provide their full and complete support for UN Security Council action and provide whatever assistance is needed for the victims in Libya. In particular, countries neighbouring Libya on both sides of the Mediterranean should cooperate to provide all necessary measures to stop the violence against civilians in Libya.

Certain acts, like the ones we are witnessing in Libya, when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population amount to crimes against humanity, and may also constitute other crimes under international law. This needs to be investigated immediately, by an independent and impartial institution, also to preserve information about crimes potentially being committed right now and to put people on notice that this is unacceptable conduct for which there will be consequences. If, as we suspect, that investigation finds credible evidence that crimes against humanity have been committed, those who bear the greatest responsibility for those crimes must be held accountable in a court of law, be it the International Criminal Court or otherwise.

The people of Libya cannot wait: the international community and the United Nations Security Council must act now, before Colonel Gadhaffi can realise his promise of “last man, last woman, last bullet”. It must do so for the people of Libya and also for the people of the region, whose long-awaited dream of living in democratic societies in full respect for the rule of law and human rights is finally coming to life. The international community owes it to them to ensure that the actions of one tyrant do not destroy the hopes, dreams and future of a region.